Commencement 2015 - Berkeley City College

Commencement 2015
Berkeley City College · 2050 Center St. · Berkeley, CA 94704
April 14, 2015
Congratulations to our Class of 2015 !
This newsletter contains important information for all graduates.
Please read through this thoroughly as it contains many timesensitive topics with deadline information for the graduation
ceremony. We encourage all to attend and look forward to celebrating
your success. Graduates do not need to RSVP to attend graduation.
Commencement
Ceremony
May 21, 2015 at 7 p.m.
Zellerbach Auditorium,
UC Berkeley Campus
The Auditorium will open to
the public at approximately
6pm. The ceremony lasts
approximately 2 hours, and a
reception follows in the
mezzanine.
Special Note:
Zellerbach does not allow
balloons inside. If you or your
guests plan to bring balloons
to the ceremony, the
Zellerbach staff will keep the
balloons in a separate room
and they will give you a claim
ticket so that you can pick
them up upon your departure.
Also, Zellerbach Auditorium/
Cal Performances and
Berkeley City College are not
responsible for lost or stolen
items.

Arrival Information

You should plan to arrive at Zellerbach Auditorium no later than 6:15
p.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. When you come to Zellerbach, please
check in at the reception table out front and pick up your announcement
card. Hang on to this card—you will need to hand it to the announcer when
it’s time to cross the stage during the ceremony.

Accessible Seating/Accommodations

Zellerbach Auditorium is wheelchair accessible, and the graduation
ceremony will be sign language interpreted. However, disabled seating is
limited. Graduates and guests with special seating needs please contact
Marilyn Clausen by email : [email protected]. Marilyn will work with
Zellerbach staff to assist you with all your accommodation needs and questions; please contact Marilyn by May 14, 2015.

Parking Information

There are parking garages in the area, which are likely to fill up early.
Please inform your guests to allow ample time to find parking and keep in
mind the possible traffic congestion in the area. Please see page 4 for a map
of UC Berkeley, which shows several parking areas. Keep in mind that
many lots will require payment in quarters. Also, there will be construction
going on around Zellerbach and due to this the MLK Garage will be closed.

Announcements/Invitations

You are encouraged to invite as many guests as you would like to the
ceremony. Zellerbach is a large auditorium, which should easily
accommodate our space needs. Guests will not need to produce any
ticket/invitation, as there is open admission to the auditorium. You will
receive 5 courtesy announcements when you pick up your regalia at our
bookstore. If you would like to purchase more announcements, you can do
so at the bookstore. The announcements are sold in packs of five (5). Our
bookstore is located on the 5th floor in Room 517. They can be reach at (510)
981-1012 for more information.

About Your Speaker
During her childhood,
founder Rue Mapp split
her time between urban
Oakland, California and
her families’ working
ranch in the Northern
woodlands, where she
cultivated a passion for
natural spaces, farming,
and learned how to hunt
and fish. As a youth, her
participation in the Girl Scouts and Outward
Bound broadened her outdoor experiences, such
as camping, mountaineering, rock climbing, and
road bicycling. But Ms. Mapp was troubled by
the consistently low numbers of African
Americans participating in these activities. So for
two decades, she has used digital media as an
important and practical tool to connect with
people of color who share her outdoor interests.
Outdoor Afro emerged naturally from these
experiences.
Ms. Mapp, a Berkeley City College alumna,
earned her B.A. from the University of
California, Berkeley, where she was inspired by
her study of the artistic representation of the
American forests. She is also a successful
entrepreneur whose game and hobby store startup (It’s Your Move) remains an important part of
the Oakland community.
In 2010, Ms. Mapp was invited to the White
House to participate in the America’s Great
Outdoors Conference where President Obama
signed an historic memorandum to help
reconnect all Americans to the Great Outdoors,
and was invited back to take part in a think-tank
to inform the launch of the First Lady’s Let’s
Move initiative. She was also appointed program
officer at the Stewardship Council’s Foundation
for Youth Investment where she served for two
years to manage its grantmaking program.
Recently, Ms. Mapp was named a Hero in
Backpacker Magazine, honored as part of the
Root 100 of the top black achievers and
influencers for 2012. She received the Josephine
and Frank Dunaneck award for her humanitarian
efforts. Rue is a proud mother of three active
children – Seth, Arwen, and Billy, lives in the
beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, and especially
enjoys hiking, camping, biking, birding, and
kayaking.
Outdoor Afro is a social community that
reconnects African-Americans with natural
spaces and one another through recreational
activities such as camping, hiking, biking,
birding, fishing, gardening, skiing — and more!
Outdoor Afro disrupts the false perception that
black people do not have a relationship with
nature, and works to shift the visual
representation of who can connect with the
outdoors. We remember our history in
nature, leverage social media, and support
relevant local leadership to create interest
communities, events, and partnerships that
support diverse participation in the Great
Outdoors.
Cap & Gown (Commencement Regalia)

A black gown & cap with a tassel is required for all graduates. The cap and
gown will be available for purchase at our campus bookstore located on the
5th floor after April 20, 2015. The regalia purchase is $42 + tax, which includes the cap, gown, tassel and courtesy 5-pack of Announcements. At the
commencement ceremony graduates will also receive a BCC Diploma Cover
and BCC Zipper Pull. The regalia set that you purchase is yours to keep; it is
not a rental. Since there are no dressing rooms at Zellerbach, you are encouraged to arrive in your cap and gown.
Honor Students: If you are an academic honor student, your honor cord will
be included in your cap & gown set. Please refer to the section of this letter
regarding “honors at graduation” to see if you are eligible to receive the honor
cord (Honors pertains only to Associate Degree candidates). Your name will be
on an honors list at the bookstore. Note: The bookstore only accepts cash,
credit and debit cards for payment.

Ceremony Procedures

The ceremony will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. At approximately 6:30 p.m.,
all graduates will be asked to form a line outside Zellerbach and will
be directed to enter the auditorium. Ushers will assist with ceremony
procedures - please follow their guidance. Reserved seating for graduates
will be in the first several rows of the center section. Upon cue from the
usher, the first graduate in line will enter the first row and proceed left to
the end of the center aisle; other graduates will follow. When the first row is
filled, subsequent rows will be filled in the same manner.
All graduates should remain standing until directed to be seated.
At the point in the ceremony when degrees are awarded, the first row of
graduates will be asked to stand. Graduates will follow the guidance of the
usher and proceed toward the back of the auditorium in order to form a line ,
in preparation to begin the Degree Path. Following the guidance of the
ushers, you will then approach the right hand side of the stage one at a time
and give your announcement card to the announcer. As your name is
announced, proceed across the stage to be greeted by President Deborah
Budd and Vice President Tram Kumamoto. After receiving your
congratulatory certificate from President Deborah Budd, please step down
the stairs and return to your original seat.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, you will be led out of the auditorium by an
usher. The first row of graduates will exit first.

Photographs

GradImages will provide professional graduation photography the evening of
the ceremony. All graduates will be photographed individually at the ceremony as they receive their congratulatory certificate. GradImages is one of the
world’s largest commencement photography businesses. For more than 30
years GradImages have been capturing the accomplishments of over 1.5
million graduates each year. Please visit their website at
www.gradimages.com where you will find your photos available to share and
order online. You are not obligated to purchase any of the photographs taken
by GradImages.

Reception

A reception will immediately follow the graduation ceremony in the
Zellerbach Auditorium Atrium on the 1st and 2nd floors. All graduates,
family, and friends are welcome to attend. There will be refreshments served
on the second level of the Auditorium.

2015 Commencement
Committee
Ms. Brenda Johnson, Chair
.
Dr. Deborah Budd
Mrs. Ramona Butler
Ms. Nancy Cayton
Mrs. Marilyn Clausen
Mrs. Sylvia Espinosa
Ms. Shirley Fogarino
Mr. Mostafa Ghous
Ms. Joanna Louie
Mrs. Jasmine Martinez
Mrs. Gail Pendleton
Ms. Cynthia Reese
Ms. Stephanie Sanders-Badt
Mr. Roger Toliver

….
“Success is not final, failure
is not fatal: it is the courage
to continue that counts.”
Honors at Graduation

Associate Degree candidates with the following cumulative grade point
averages at the end of the Fall 2014 semester will be recognized at
graduation as follows:
3.25 - 3.49
Cum Laude, With Honors
3.50 - 3.74
Magna Cum Laude, With High Honors
3.75 - 4.00
Summa Cum Laude, With Highest Honors
Please be reminded that this is a cumulative grade point average
reflecting ALL COLLEGE WORK through Fall 2014. This includes
college work completed both at Peralta and other colleges. Again,
Certificate recipients are not eligible for honors.
For those students graduating with Associate Degrees in June 2015, your
cumulative GPA will be recalculated once grades from Spring 2015 semester
are finalized. If at that time you qualify for honors, your transcript will be
appropriately noted.

Valedictorian & Salutatorian

Each year a class valedictorian and salutatorian are chosen from the candidates for the Associate Degree. Certificate candidates are not eligible.
The class valedictorian is the student in the graduating class (December
2014 or June 2015) with the highest cumulative grade point average at the
end of the Fall 2014 semester. This individual will be asked to deliver a
speech to the graduating class.
The class salutatorian is the student in the graduating class (December 2014
or June 2015) with the second highest cumulative grade point average at the
end of the Fall 2014 semester. This individual will be asked to lead the class
in the moving of the cap tassel at the end of the ceremony.
Note: Since Spring 2015 grades do not become final until June 2015; they are
not included in the determination of the class valedictorian & salutatorian.
-Winston Churchill

“Do not go where the path
may lead; go instead where
there is no path and leave a
trail”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Diplomas & Certificates

Diplomas and certificates are currently available in the Admissions and
Records for Berkeley City College graduates who have completed all of their
requirements as of the end of the Fall 2014 semester. If you are a Spring
2015 graduate you will receive a letter from our PCCD District Office of
Admissions & Records notifying you of the date your Diplomas and/or
Certificates will be available for pick up at BCC’s Admissions Office.
Congratulations on your success!
Directions to Zellerbach Hall
By Car
From Interstate 80 (San Francisco, Oakland, Marin):
Exit on University Avenue. Continue east on University Avenue approximately 1.5 miles to Oxford Street. Turn right on Oxford Street,
pass Bancroft Way, and turn left on Durant Avenue. Turn left on
Telegraph Avenue.
From Highway 24:
Exit on Telegraph Ave., continue north
on Telegraph Ave. approx. 2 miles to
Bancroft Way, turn left on Bancroft Way.
By BART
Richmond Line:
Concord Line:
Exit at Berkeley Station, located at the corner of Center Street and
Shattuck Avenue. Walk one block east on Center St. to the campus,
turn right on Oxford Street until Bancroft Way. Turn left on Bancroft
to Telegraph Avenue for Zellerbach Hall.
Exit at Rockridge Station. Take a #51 AC
Transit Bus north on College Avenue to
the campus and exit at Bancroft Way and
Telegraph Avenue for Zellerbach Hall.
Parking for Zellerbach Hall
Please plan to arrive 30-40 minutes early to ensure that you find parking near by and are in your seat before the ceremony begins at 7pm. We strongly advise taking public transportation if possible. The downtown Berkeley BART station is a 10-minute walk to Zellerbach Hall and the Ashby BART station is 10-15 minutes away by taxi or bus.
The following is a suggested list of parking lots near Zellerbach:
ATTENTION: MLK GARAGE CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
1. Martin Luther King Student Union Garage
4. Dana/Durant Lot
Bancroft Way near Telegraph Ave. under Zellerbach Hall
Dana St. near Bancroft Way, across from Zellerbach
.
2. Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) Garage
5. & 6. City of Berkeley Public Parking
Bancroft Way at Ellsworth Avenue
Entrances on Durant Ave. & Channing St. between
Telegraph Ave. & Dana Street
3. Bancroft/Fulton Lot
Bancroft Way between Ellsworth Avenue & Fulton Street
7. Bancroft Structure
Bancroft Way between College Ave. & Bowditch Street
GARAGE CLOSED